Eriochilus petricola at Granite Falls

This was a new experience for me - visiting Granite Falls. My friend Kirsten had told me about this place, but I could not imagine what it looked like, or why it is here.

It is within the Morton National Park, and that Park is centred on the Shoalhaven Valley, and is dominated by a huge Sandstone plateau. So, what is Granite Falls doing there?

Seemingly it is a geological "intrusion" 

into the surrounding Sandstone plateau.

This is a composite image, and because of the steep angle

of the rocks, my images only match if put together like this.

Igmnore the black surrounds.

Also the grey mass in the lower left foreground

is part of the lookout structure. Ignore that too.

Just follow the water line from the top to the pool, 

way down at the base.

Granite Falls (composite image)

Well, it is there. I have seen it with my own eyes. And it is very strange indeed. Not as steep sided as the usual "Falls" in Morton National Park. But impressive none-the-less.

Also strange was this amazing blue fungus. Small, with a high crowned cap, and a blue stem underneath (visible in the second image). It seems likely that it is a type of Entoloma. My foot was playing up, and I did not take the images I ought have taken - gill shots, etc. I hope to go back next week.

 Note the blue stem underneath.

The day I went there, with Alan Stephenson, it was drizzly and as I discovered, the rock shelf above the Falls is dangerously slippery.

However, it was worth the effort in carefully negotiating this seemingly innoculous rock shelf. The smooth surface of the granite rock was very slippery and potentially dangerous.

We found these plants:

Eriochilus petricola

As the name suggests, this plant loves rock shelves.

It has short stubby hairs on the margins of the lateral sepals

(the large creamy white organs)

The lateral petals ("Bunny Ears") are clearly hairy.

Eriochilus petricola

Its diagnostic feature is the leaf present at flowering time

(but its cousin E cucullata often has

a leaf forming when it flowers).

More importantly, the leaf of this species is red underneath,

not green.

(click to enlarge image)

That Eriochilus is a new species for me.

The more common species in my area is the Parsons Bands Orchid

or "Bunnies Ears".

Eriochilus cucullatus

 Drosera spatulata

This ia  wonderful colony of these tiny Sundews.

Drosera spatulata in situ on shallow moss bed over rock

 Close up of Drosera spatulata

Unfortunately they were only in bud, not in flower.

If I do go back I shall update this post 

with more, and hopefully better, photos.